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Abney-Hastings family, Earls of Loudoun and Barons Donington

This page summarises records created by this Family

The summary includes a brief description of the collection(s) (usually including the covering dates of the collection), the name of the archive where they are held, and reference information to help you find the collection.

Date: 1100-2000
History:

Settled in Norfolk in the 13th century, the Hastings family had extensive lands in Yorkshire, Leicestershire and elsewhere by the mid 15th century. William Hastings (c1430-83), created Baron Hastings in 1461, received large grants of forfeited estates, including Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Loughborough and Castle Donington in north-west Leicestershire, where Ashby Castle and, after the Civil War, Donington Park became the principal seat. Edward Hastings, 2nd Baron Hastings (1466-1507) married Mary Hungerford, Baroness Hungerford, Botreaux and Moleyns. A number of Hungerford and Botreaux deeds remain in the collection, although most of the estates were confirmed to the male line of the Hungerford family in the 16th century. The 3rd Baron Hastings was created Earl of Huntingdon in 1529. Outlying Hastings estates were later alienated, and by the early 19th century the Hastings properties were confined mainly to Leicestershire and adjacent parts of Derbyshire. The 7th Earl (1650-1701) had acquired through his first wife the Ledston estate (Yorkshire: West Riding), but this later passed through female heirs to the Wheler family.

In 1752 Elizabeth, only daughter of the 9th Earl, married Sir John Rawdon, 3rd bt. (1720-93), created Earl of Moira in 1762. Although originating in Yorkshire and inheriting property in Cheshire, the Rawdon family had been settled since the 17th century in Ireland, where it had estates in County Down, Dublin and elsewhere. Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 2nd Earl of Moira (1754-1826), succeeded his mother in the Hastings estates in 1808 and was created Marquess of Hastings in 1817. In 1804 he had married Flora, Countess of Loudoun, heiress of the Loudoun Castle and Rowallan estates in Ayrshire. The 2nd Marquess inherited the Loudoun estates on the death of his mother in 1840.

The Campbell family was settled in London from the Middle Ages. Sir Hugh Campbell (d. 1622) was created Baron Loudoun, and was succeeded by his granddaughter Margaret, whose husband Sir John Campbell of Lawers (Perthshire) was created Earl of Loudoun in 1633. On the death of the 4th Earl in 1782 he was succeded his cousin James Mure Campbell of Lawers, whose mother had been heiress of the Mure family of Rowallan.

The Irish estates were sold mostly around 1800, and the Leicestershire estates reduced by sales in the early 19th century. On the death of the 4th Marquess in 1868 he was succeeded by his sister Edith, Countess of Loudoun (1838-74), who in 1858 had married Charles Frederick Clifton (1822-95, created Baron Donington in 1880). In 1859 they took the name of Abney-Hastings on inheriting the Willesley (Derbyshire, later Leicestershire) property of Sir Charles Abney-Hastings, 2nd bt.

Estates in 1883: (Earl of Loudoun and Baron Donington): Ayrshire 18,638 acres; Leics 10,174 acres, Derbyshire 2,750 acres, Yorks WR 1,348 acres, total 32,910 acres worth £39,977 a year, exclusive of £2,259 for Ayrshire minerals.

Places:
  • County Fermanagh
  • County Tyrone
  • Florida
  • Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire
  • Ballynahinch, County Down
  • Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire
  • Belton, Rutland
  • Blackfordby, Leicestershire
  • Boscastle, Cornwall
  • Brill, Buckinghamshire
  • Bulwick, Northamptonshire
  • Calke, Derbyshire
  • Castle Donington, Leicestershire
  • Chellaston, Derbyshire
  • Church Gresley, Derbyshire
  • Cippenham, Buckinghamshire
  • Congleton, Cheshire
  • Dublin, County Dublin
  • East Leake, Nottinghamshire
  • Englefield, Berkshire
  • Framland, Leicestershire
  • Galston, Ayrshire
  • Harringworth, Northamptonshire
  • Hastings, Sussex
  • Heytesbury, Wiltshire
  • Hoton, Leicestershire
  • Howe, Norfolk
  • Lawers, Perthshire
  • Ledsham, Yorkshire
  • London
  • Loudoun, Ayrshire
  • Loughborough, Leicestershire
  • Mauchline, Ayrshire
  • Melbourne, Derbyshire
  • Moira, County Down
  • Overseal, Derbyshire
  • Packington, Leicestershire
  • Puddletown, Dorset
  • Rawdon, Yorkshire
  • Repton, Derbyshire
  • Ringwood, Hampshire
  • Rippingale, Lincolnshire
  • Ropsley, Lincolnshire
  • Rowallan, Ayrshire
  • Somerton, Somerset
  • Stokenham, Devon
  • Upton Scudamore, Wiltshire
  • Ripley, Hampshire
  • Donington House, Leicestershire
  • Willesley, Leicestershire
  • Astwell, Northamptonshire
  • Aller, Somerset
  • Ledston, Yorkshire
  • Termonfeckin, County Louth
  • Rathmullan, County Meath
Sources of authority: Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, Principal family and estate collections L-Z, 1999
Name authority reference: GB/NNAF/F176812 (Former ISAAR ref: GB/NNAF/F10936 )
Collections
Number Description Held by Reference Further information
1
13th cent-20th cent: Leics (Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Donington Park in Castle Donington, Loughborough, etc) and Derbys (Chellaston, Melbourne, etc) and misc Notts (East Leake, etc) and Yorks (Ledston, etc) deeds, legal and trust papers, manorial, hundred and forest records, rentals, accounts, estate, household and Hastings, Rawdon-Hastings and Abney-Hastings family corresp and papers, misc deeds and papers for Berks (Englefield, etc), Bucks (Brill, etc), Cornwall (Boscastle, etc), Devon (Stokenham, etc), Hants (Ripley, etc), Lincs (Rippingdale, etc), London, Norfolk (Howe, etc), Northants (Bulwick, etc), Rutland (Belton, etc), Somerset (Aller, Somerton, etc), Wilts (Upton Scudamore, etc) and elsewhere 13th-19th cent, Puddletown (Dorset) advowson papers 1581-1790, rape of Hastings (Sussex) accounts 1429-76, Irish (Co Down, Co Dublin, Co Fermanagh, Co Tyrone, etc) deeds and estate papers 16th-19th cent and Florida estate papers c1763-68, with papers rel to the families of Botreaux, Campbell, Hungerford, Monck, Mure, Shirley, etc
Huntington Library
NRA 10029 Hastings

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88a]
2
18th cent-20th cent: Leics (Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Castle Donington, etc) and Derbys (Melbourne, etc) legal and estate papers 18th-20th cent and Rawdon (Yorks) estate rental 1844-49
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Record Office for
NRA 41276 Crane

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88b]
3
14th cent-20th cent: Leics (Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Castle Donington, etc) and Derbys (Church Gresley, Overseal, etc) and misc Dorset (Puddletown) and Notts (East Leake, etc) deeds, legal, trust and estate papers 14th-20th cent and Donington House (Leics) inventories and catalogues 1828-57
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Record Office for
NRA 41276 Crane

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88b]
4
18th cent-20th cent: Leics (Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Castle Donington, etc) and Derbys (Melbourne, etc) maps, plans, rentals, accounts and estate and mineral corresp and papers 18th-20th cent and papers of the 1st Baron Donington 1853-95
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Record Office for
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88c]
5
16th cent-19th cent: Leics (Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Castle Donington, etc) hundred and manor court rolls, 1439-1839; deeds and papers 16th-19th cent, legal papers 1722-51 and misc Hastings and Rawdon-Hastings family corresp 1670-1805, incl letters to Selina, Countess of Huntingdon (1707-1791), with a few deeds and papers rel to property in other counties
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Record Office for
NRA 6263 Leics RO misc

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88g]
6
1581-1824: Leics (Blackfordby, Packington, Willesley, etc) and Derbys (Church Gresley, Melbourne, etc) deeds and papers
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Record Office for
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88d]
7
18th cent-1808: misc Leics (Ashby-de-la-Zouch, etc), Derbys (Melbourne, etc) and Yorks (Ledston, etc) surveys, maps and estate accounts, etc
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Record Office for
NRA 21821 Leics Arch Soc

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88e]
8
1513-20th cent: Leics (Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Castle Donington, Packington, etc) and Derbys (Church Gresley, Melbourne, Overseal, etc) deeds and legal papers 17th-20th cent, Hastings (Sussex) rape and castle leases 1513-1868 and Rawdon-Hastings and Abney-Hastings family executorship and trust papers 19th-20th cent
Derbyshire Record Office
NRA 41437

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88h]
9
c1596-1607: Leics (Barrow upon Soar and Loughborough) estate papers
Kent History and Library Centre
NRA 17989 Sidney

See HMC Principal family and estate papers L-W, 1999 [95a]
10
1561-1707: Melbourne (Derbyshire) manorial records
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Record Office for
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88c]
11
16th cent-19th cent: Derbys (Chellaston and Melbourne) deeds and papers
Derbyshire Record Office
NRA 16157 Hastings
12
17th cent-19th cent: Derbys (Melbourne, etc), Leics (Castle Donington, etc) and Irish (Co Down, Co Dublin, etc) deeds, estate, household and Hastings and Rawdon-Hastings family papers
Bute Archive at Mount Stuart
NRA 15459 Crichton-Stuart

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [100a]
13
14th cent-18th cent: Yorks (Ledsham and Ledston) manorial records
West Yorkshire Archive Service, Leeds
NRA 9003 Ledston
14
16th cent-18th cent: misc Yorks (Ledston, etc) deeds and papers
West Yorkshire Archive Service, Leeds
NRA 9003 Ledston
15
12th cent-19th cent: Ayrshire (Loudoun, Rowallan, etc) charters, writs, legal, estate, mining, household and Campbell family corresp and papers
Bute Archive at Mount Stuart
NRA 15459 Crichton-Stuart

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [100a]
16
14th cent-20th cent: Ayrshire (Loudoun, Rowallan, etc) writs, legal papers, rentals, accounts, estate, household and Campbell, Rawdon-Hastings and Abney-Hastings family papers
Burns Monument Centre
NRA 18854

See Annual Return 2011
17
c1210-18th cent: misc Ayrshire (Loudoun, etc) writs and papers
Glasgow City Archives
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88k]
18
1857-1967: Ayrshire (Loudoun, etc) legal and financial papers and rent, cash and letter books
Burns Monument Centre
19
17th cent-18th cent: Rowallan (Ayrshire) estate accounts 1734-35 and misc Campbell family papers 17th-18th cent, incl Lawers (Perthshire) household accounts 1736
National Records of Scotland (formerly National Archives of Scotland)
NRA 32483 Tods

See HMC Principal family and estate collections A-K, 1996 [9c]
20
1584-1809: Co Down (Ballynahinch, Moira, etc), Co Dublin (Dublin), Co Louth (Termonfeckin, etc), Co Meath (Rathmullan, etc) and misc Congleton (Cheshire) deeds, settlements, legal, estate and Rawdon and Rawdon-Hastings family corresp and papers
Collection held privately: enquiries to Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
NRA 32660 Forbes
21
c1596-1748: Hastings family corresp c1685-1748, incl some of Selina, Countess of Hastings (1707-1791), with survey of the Earl and Countess of Huntingdon's estates c1596
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Record Office for
NRA 6082 Hastings

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88f]
22
1829-1865: Abney-Hastings family executorship and trust papers
Derbyshire Record Office
NRA 8918 Derbyshire RO misc

See HMC Principal family and estate papers L-W, 1999 [88i]
23
19th cent-20th cent: Abney-Hastings family trust papers
Arundel Castle
NRA 12614 Fitzalan-Howard

See HMC Principal family and estate collections A-K, 1996 [37a]
24
1555-1714: misc Hastings and Rawdon family papers rel to Ireland, incl some of the 5th Earl of Huntingdon (1586-1643), the 7th Earl of Huntingdon (1650-1701) and Sir John Davies (1569-1626)
Oxford University: Bodleian Library, Special Collections
See HMC Principal family and estate papers L-W, 1999 [88m]
25
misc Hastings, Rawdon-Hastings and Abney-Hastings family and literary papers
Unknown location
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88t]
26
18th cent: Hastings family corresp, mainly letters of Selina, Countess of Huntingdon (1707-1791)
Drew University Library
NRA 42014 Hastings

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88n]
27
18th cent-19th cent: Hastings and Rawdon-Hastings family corresp and papers
National Records of Scotland (formerly National Archives of Scotland)
NRA 35600 Anderson
28
18th cent: misc Campbell family legal papers
National Records of Scotland (formerly National Archives of Scotland)
NRA 13863 Campbell

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88l]
29
1727-1791: corresp and papers of Selina, Countess of Huntingdon 1727-91, with Hastings family estate accounts 1760, 1777
Westminster and Cheshunt College
NRA 12352 Cheshunt Coll

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88n]
30
1757-1790: letters of Selina, Countess of Huntingdon (1707-1791)
Southern Methodist University: Centre for Methodist Studies
NRA 42006

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88n]
31
c1818-1827: personal and family papers of the 1st Marquess of Hastings (1754-1826)
British Library: Asian and African Studies
NRA 10746 Macnabb

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88o]
32
1813-1814: journal of the 1st Marquess of Hastings (1754-1826)
Duke University: William R Perkins Library
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88p]
33
1739-1776: military and other papers of the 4th Earl of Loudoun (1705-1782)
British Library, Manuscript Collections
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88q]
34
1741-1773: papers of the 4th Earl of Loudoun (1705-1782)
National Library of Scotland, Manuscript Collections
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88r]
35
1755-1774: further papers of the 4th Earl of Loudoun (1705-1782)
Collection held privately: enquiries to National Register of Archives for Scotland
NRA 15342

See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88s]
36
c1610: Parliamentary journal of the 5th Earl of Huntingdon (1586-1643)
Folger Shakespeare Library
See HMC Principal family and estate collections L-W, 1999 [88u]
37
15th cent-17th cent: transcripts of Hastings family muniments
British Library, Manuscript Collections
38
1852-1945: additional deeds and papers
Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Record Office for
See Annual Return 2017